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Measurement of Palladium Hydride and Palladium Deuteride Isotherms Between 130 K and 393 K

Journal Article · · Fusion Science and Technology
 [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. Univ. of Rochester, NY (United States). Lab. for Laser Energetics; Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester
  2. Univ. of Rochester, NY (United States). Lab. for Laser Energetics
  3. Pittsford Sutherland High School, NY (United States)

The data collected in the present work extend the measured phase diagram for palladium hydride and palladium deuteride to a region that has been sparsely reported in open literature. Absorption isotherms were measured using a 2.5-g bed of palladium powder at temperatures between 130 K and 393 K and pressures less than 1.3 x 105 Pa. Such low-pressure and low-temperature measurements are useful for characterizing palladium beds used for tritium pumping and storage. For tritium storage, pressures are kept below a few millibar for safety reasons. Low temperatures increase the tritium storage capacity of palladium. The measured absorption isotherms show the well-documented, two-phase behavior for this system: two solubility regions and a mixed, hydride-forming region. The isotherms show that an increased quantity of hydride is formed at lower temperatures, as marked by an increase in the hydride-forming region. This region exceeds hydrogen to metal ratios of 0.75 for T ≤ 273 K. Equilibrium pressures in the mixed region decrease with decreasing temperatures until a critical temperature is reached for each isotope. Below these critical temperatures, the rate of pressure decrease with decreasing temperature is significantly reduced. This change in trend suggests hydrogen isotopes are adsorbed onto the palladium surface, rather than forming a hydride. Using the equilibrium pressures recorded at temperatures between 236 K and 393 K for protium and between 211 K and 354 K for deuterium, the van’t Hoff constants were calculated to be A = –36 ± 1 kJ/mol and B = 88 ± 3 J/K for protium and A = -32 ± 2 kJ/mol and B = 88 ± 9 J/K for deuterium. As a result, these constants agree favorably with literature in the range where the temperatures of the measured isotherms overlap.

Research Organization:
Univ. of Rochester, NY (United States). Lab. for Laser Energetics
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); New York State Energy Research and Development Authority
Grant/Contract Number:
NA0003856
OSTI ID:
1647469
Report Number(s):
2018-315; 1577; 2531; 2018-315, 1577, 2531
Journal Information:
Fusion Science and Technology, Journal Name: Fusion Science and Technology Journal Issue: 5 Vol. 76; ISSN 1943-7641; ISSN 1536-1055
Publisher:
American Nuclear SocietyCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (10)

The H-Pd (hydrogen-palladium) System journal February 1994
Evaluation of ZrCo and other getters for tritium handling and storage journal March 1990
Interaction of hydrogen with (210)-oriented metal surfaces: Molecular precursors, chemisorbed atoms and subsurface states journal June 2009
Diffusion and solubility of hydrogen in palladium and palladium--silver alloys journal February 1970
THE PALLADIUM-HYDROGEN EQUILIBRIUM AND PALLADIUM HYDRIDE 1 journal May 1926
The Palladium-Deuterium Equilibrium journal September 1939
The palladium + hydrogen equilibrium at high pressures and temperatures journal January 1960
Evidence for ‘‘subsurface’’ hydrogen on Pd(110): An intermediate between chemisorbed and dissolved species journal June 1983
Novel insight into the hydrogen absorption mechanism at the Pd(110) surface journal April 2014
Solubility of hydrogen isotopes in palladium journal July 1983

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